


My Other Half

by momothesweet



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Crying, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-30
Updated: 2013-12-30
Packaged: 2018-01-06 17:56:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1109847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/momothesweet/pseuds/momothesweet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a modern AU where the deadly Titan Plague eats people alive around the world, Jean recalls the painful memories of his last moments with Marco, while at the same time trying to move on with the help of Eren.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Other Half

**Author's Note:**

> It's 2am and I have no idea what I'm doing! ~woo~  
> I honestly just thought of Jean and Marco and a title "My Other Half" because I'm terrible and I kind of went with this. Didn't expect it to be Eren/Jean, though. Ah.  
> Anyhow, enjoy.

"I...I can't do it. I'm sorry."

Jean firmly grasped Eren's waist. Before Jean could even lift him, Eren took a hold of his wrists. "I can move myself," he said with an edge in his voice.

Eren got off Jean's lap and turned to sit next to him on the couch. He tried to catch Jean's hand on his knee, but he moved, and Eren missed.

"I'm sorry," Jean said again. "It's just...I still can't."

Eren didn't want to say his name, but it came out anyway. "Marco?"

Jean didn't react. He just looked up at the ceiling of his apartment. "Marco."

"How long has it been?" Eren asked. The edge on his voice was gone. He already knew the answer to the question. He didn't know why he was asking it again.

"A year and a half."

"That's right," Eren said, beginning to recall those memories. "Graduation party. Trost Hall at Rose University. Class of 2013."

To Eren's surprise, Jean laughed softly. "Yeah. Sasha brought a huge beef roast and nobody knew how to cook it."

Eren smiled and put an arm around Jean's shoulder. Jean flinched, but he didn't reject it. "I remember that. We microwaved it for, like, four hours."

"It tasted horrible."

"It wasn't as horrible as Annie punching Reiner in the face," Eren said. He winced just thinking about it.

"Ah. Kinda deserved it, though. He kept picking on her since freshman year."

Eren nodded and rested his head on Jean's shoulder. Jean put his hand back around Eren. "That party was fun."

"It was."

"But...the accident."

Jean didn't break his eye contact with the ceiling. He held on to Eren. "It was so fucked up, Eren. The guy was driving 90 miles an hour. He was drunk. He hit Marco's side. There was fire..."

He finally turned to Eren, and hugged him tightly. Eren felt Jean's tears soak his shoulder as he cried on it. He hugged him back.

"It wasn't your fault, Jean," Eren said. He shouldn't have said that. So many other people did.

"Half his body was burnt and gone, Eren!" Jean said through his sobs and gasps. "I didn't even get to stay with him when he died."

Eren began to cry with him. The memories of the party faded and transitioned into the ones he and everyone else wanted to forget. It was so cloudy that day, and there was all that smoke from the fires occurring in the forests around the city. It was suffocating.  _"The trees burn for him,"_ someone said at the funeral. He couldn't remember who.

"I should have cremated him," Jean said suddenly.

"What?"

"He was my other half, Eren. I wish he was still here, by my side. Even if he was only in a jar."

Eren wiped his tears. He couldn't help but feel a little bit angry over what he just said. But then again, he had been with Marco since they started college. Eren only began to show up now and then because of his job and all the emergency meetings in the Inner District he had to go to. That only started three months ago. He let go of Jean, and moved a few inches away from him on the couch. He watched Jean bend over and bury his face in his hands as he continued to cry.

"I'm sorry," he said once more. "Eren. You know I care about you."

"You care about a lot of people," Eren said. "You still care a lot about Marco, too."

"How do I move on, Eren? How did  _you_  move on?"

He was taken aback by that question. He was assuming Jean was talking about his mom. Nobody asked Eren about his mom in so long, because it happened so long ago. He still remembered it. The earthquake, him and Mikasa running home after school, the firetrucks and the policemen...

"Time is supposed to heal everything, Jean," Eren finally responded. "Maybe it takes a little bit longer with you."

Jean sniffled. "But I can't forget about him."

"Nobody can. He was a great person. But Marco wouldn't want for you to keep crying over him. What would he have wanted you to do?"

He wiped his nose. "I can tell you what he wouldn't want me to do. He wouldn't have wanted me to live here in the Inner District. He thought working here wouldn't let me live up to my full potential. And he's right. I hate it here, Eren."

Eren put a friendly hand on Jean's back. "Where do you want to move, then?"

Jean sat up and took Eren's hand. He squeezed it. "Take me with you, back to Rose. I can beg Erwin Smith for a job. I shouldn't have taken this shit job in the Inner District."

"You don't have to beg," Eren said. "Smith kept track of the people that graduated at the top of the class in our major when we were at Rose University. He openly invites those people to come and work for him, as long as you know at what costs."

"You travel the world," Jean said, "in the midst of the Titan Plague. Work with other researchers to find a permanent cure for the disease. Hope you don't catch it and get eaten alive."

Eren nodded. "We can help stop the Titan Plague.  _You_  can help stop the Titan Plague."

Jean placed his hand on Eren's cheek. His face was a lot smaller than Marco's. He had less freckles and he looked more intimidating.

"I'll come with you."

Eren smiled and touched Jean's hand caressing his face. "I'll take you there. Gladly."

"Eren. My other half, though...he's still missing."

Eren slowly moved in closer, and kissed Jean on the cheek. "I'm sure you'll find another half when we get back to Rose."

Jean didn't let go of Eren. He kept him close towards his face, his lips grazing his own. He whispered so quietly, Eren could barely make it out. He was glad he did.

"Maybe I don't have to look that far."

 


End file.
